Sweet potato slices fried until golden outside and soft within, with their natural sweetness concentrated by the hot oil and just enough salt to sharpen it. A simple Peruvian side closely associated with chicharr贸n and equally useful anywhere a warm, sweet, golden accompaniment belongs.
Peel the sweet potato and cut it into slices about 5 to 7 mm thick. Dry them very thoroughly with paper towels, especially on the cut surfaces; they should go into the oil with no visible moisture so they brown evenly and splatter less.
Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a skillet. Fry the sweet potato in uncrowded batches for 4 to 6 minutes total, turning once. Keep the frying moderate: the slices are ready when they are deeply golden around the edges, lightly crisp outside, and a knife slides through the center without resistance. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle with the salt while the sweet potato is still hot and serve immediately. Properly fried slices have golden edges with a little crispness but a soft, moist, distinctly sweet center; leave them sitting too long and they lose exactly the contrast that makes frying them worthwhile.
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